Revolution steal franchise record nine bases in one game / Labor Day record chase update

“Rev It Up” has always been a team marketing slogan…and this year a happy Mark Mason has the team to match.

Revolution Manager Mark Mason was seriously not kidding around when he said he wanted to get faster coming into this season. Franchise stolen base records continue to drop like flies, or Skeeters, if you will.

In a 12-11 win over Somerset on August 31, York stole nine bases to shatter the previous franchise best of six, which had happened twice. The first time was on August 8, 2009 in a 10-9 home loss to Newark, and the most recent was last Sunday, a 4-1 road win at Camden on August 24. Wilson Valdez led the way with three steals, and Sean Smith, Justin Greene and Eric Patterson each had two to set the new record, which had already been broken by the sixth inning when Smith stole both of his bases and Greene stole one. Valdez of course set a new single-season franchise steals mark this year when he eclipsed the 28 of Scott Grimes in 2010 – back on July 7 with a cool 69 games remaining in the season.

With 164 stolen bases as a team through the end of August, this year’s Revolution have blown away the team record from 2007, when the inaugural Revs stole exactly 100. That mark fell with 62 games remaining in the season. If you’re wondering if the 2014 Revolution have a chance at the all-time Atlantic League team stolen base record, they do not. In 2000 Somerset stole 265 bases, led by Billy Hall who stole a still-league record 104 on his own. However, the top three individual base-stealing efforts in Revolution history already belong to players on this year’s club, with 19 regular season games to go. Justin Greene (29), Sean Smith (34) and Wilson Valdez (47) have all eclipsed the previously tepid record of 28 by Grimes. It’s interesting Wilson Valdez will begins Labor Day with 47 steals, as that was the total number of stolen bases for the Revolution in all of 2013. And yes, you read that correctly. By the end of the season, the top four individual steals efforts in Revolution history will likely be with members of this club, as Eric Patterson has 23 steals through 121 games. At 164, York enjoyed a 57-steal lead on Long Island for tops in the Atlantic League through August 31. They’ve attempted 200 times, for an 82% success rate.

As we hit the home stretch on Labor Day weekend, other franchise record tidbits after the jump (all stats through August 31):

Chad Tracy has 17 home runs to lead York (4th in ALPB) and his 85 RBI lead the league. He needs 15 RBI in the final 19 games to achieve the third 100-RBI season in York Revolution history. Jason Aspito was the first with 105 in 2008, before his record was eclipsed by Chris Nowak with 107 in 2012. If Tracy can hit three more home runs, it will be the seventh 20-homer season in franchise history. The others are Chris Nowak (34, 2012), Chris Nowak (25, 2011), Jason Aspito (24, 2008), Andres Perez (23, 2012), Nate Espy (22, 2007) and Matt Esquivel (21, 2009). In regards to each category, Eric Patterson has an outside chance at all of this, standing with 15 home runs and 81 RBI on Labor Day.

Justin Greene, batting .366, is chasing a pair of single-season records. He’s on course to obliterate the Revolution franchise record for batting in a season, held by Ramon Castro (.339, 2010). The Atlantic League record is .371 by Vic Rodriguez of the 2004 Somerset Patriots.

Through 16 starts with the club, southpaw Logan Williamson holds an era of 2.45. The Revolution single-season ERA record for a starter is 2.71 by fellow lefty Ryan Feierabend, in 17 starts in 2012. Feierabend used that season as a springboard to eventually make a six-year MLB comeback with the Texas Rangers earlier this season.

With 17 triples on the season, Eric Patterson continues to extend his own Atlantic League single-season record. The previous record was 13, a mark he surpassed on July 25, with a remarkable 55 games to go in the season.

Chad Tracy’s 13th inning RBI single on August 29 in a 6-5 win over Somerset was York’s sixth walk-off win of 2014, which is one shy of the franchise high of seven by the 2011 championship club. The increase in excitement this season at Santander Stadium has been sorely needed; the Revolution had just THREE walkoff wins in the 2012 and 2013 seasons combined.

Tracy’s game-winning single on 8/29 also preserved one of the more peculiar stats in York Revolution history. In nearly eight complete seasons, the York Revolution have never played in the 15th inning. York has played four 14-inning games since 2007, but none longer. Only one was at home, a 7-4 loss to Somerset on May 6 of last season. Had the 8/29 game this year continued, it would have been just the second game to go 14 innings in Santander Stadium history. Of the three 14-inning games the Revolution has played on the road, the most recent was a 2-1 loss at Southern Maryland on June 14 of last year. Even more obscure…the Revs are winless in all four of their 14-inning games, but undefeated in any and all 13-inning games in franchise history.

With the 12-11 win against Somerset on 8/31, the Revolution improved to 22-16 in 1-run games this season. 22 wins in that category ties the 2011 championship club for the most in franchise history.

This season marks the latest in franchise history the Revolution have allowed 10 runs or more in a game for the first time. They allowed double-digits for the first time in 2014 on August 26 in a 10-5 loss at Southern Maryland, in game 116. Five days later they allowed 10 or more for the second time, but in a win at home against Somerset. The shortest amount of time the Revolution has gone before allowing double-digit runs in a season? Try one game, when they lost 15-8 at Bridgeport in the first game in franchise history in 2007. Unfortunately it happened again on opening day the following season, in an 11-4 loss at Camden to begin 2008. In 2009 it was the second game (12-8 loss at Bridgeport), 2010 the ninth game (10-7 loss at Lancaster), 2011 the 13th game (13-9 home loss to Southern Maryland), 2012 the second game once again (10-1 loss at Sugar Land) and in 2013 the 36th game (13-9 loss at Camden) which had been the previous best. So it goes without saying, lasting until game 116 without allowing 10 runs or more is an incredible feat, especially considering in four of the first seven seasons in Revolution history, they allowed double-digits in either the first or second game.

Despite two championships, the York Revolution have never had an 80-win regular season. They must go at least 10-9 in their final 19 to accomplish that.